reading
TagAll Happy Classrooms (guest post)
Are all happy classrooms alike? Probably not. But perhaps there’s some qualities common to many of them. (more…)
How Much Reading Do You Assign? Poll Results
Last week, I asked philosophy instructors to let us know how much reading they assign in their undergraduate courses. (more…)
How Much Reading Do You Assign?
At the end of this post is a poll about how much reading you assign. Please take part in it if you teach philosophy courses. Thanks. (more…)
Neil Mehta’s Guide to Professional Philosophy
“It is often thought that philosophical excellence is the sole province of the genius. I by contrast believe that it can be achieved through countless small techniques that can be taught and learned.” (more…)
Beyond Argument: The Creative Craft of Philosophy Writing (guest post)
“I want to talk about the part of philosophy writing that comes after the argument part: the bit where you work on expressing your idea clearly, delicately, even personally. I want to talk about the very specific work involved in infusing your writing with energy and life.” (more…)
Against “Throwaway Culture” in Philosophy
Throwaway culture refers to a culture in which the consumption and production of many goods is based on the practice of discarding them after just one or a few uses. (more…)
AI and the Ecological Accomplishment of Literacy
“While contemporary discussions often focus on what we read or how we teach reading, the deeper truth is that literacy itself is an astonishingly fragile achievement.” (more…)
Views on Student Literacy
Three philosophers walk into a bar. (more…)
Academic Equipment: E-Readers & Reading Apps
For the third installment of the academic equipment series (we’ve so far talked about bags and chairs) we turn to the subject of e-readers. (more…)
New: The Philosophy Teaching Library (guest post)
A pair of philosophers have built upon the approach to pedagogical materials of a highly successful philosophy course at the University of Notre Dame to create a vetted, open educational resource that can help guide students anywhere through primary philosophical texts. (more…)
Two Philosophers Bring Expert-Based AI to Your Reading Experience
John Kaag (University of Massachusetts, Lowell) and Clancy Martin (University of Missouri, Kansas City) have teamed up with businessman and philosophy enthusiast John Dubuque to create a new business that brings together great books, expert commentary, and artificial intelligence. (more…)
Are Your Students Doing The Reading?
And if they’re not, what can be done to get them to do it? Or is that the wrong way to think about it? (more…)
Best Fiction You Read This Summer
Maybe I can squeeze in time for one more novel. (more…)
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Academic Philosophy (guest post)
An undergraduate student in philosophy has been wondering whether their dyslexia gives them a strong reason to avoid pursuing graduate study and a career in academic philosophy. (more…)
Antidismissiveness
“When I started reading Derrida, I couldn’t understand what the heck he was talking about; but someone like Kripke, it was easy. I remember chatting to someone once who said to me ‘yeah, this Derrida guy is easy, but when I read Kripke I can’t understand a word he’s saying!’” (more…)
Unconventional Readings in Undergraduate Philosophy Courses
Plato? Check. Descartes? Check. Hume? Check…. (more…)
A Pandemic Ethics Book Club with the General Public (guest post by Jesse Hamilton)
“If philosophy is to thrive, it must be sensitive and responsive to the world it is meant to engage with. The non-philosophers in our reading group shed light on a world that may be difficult for us philosophers to see and point out aspects of lived experiences that we may not have access to.” (more…)
Uncovering A New Approach to Teaching Philosophy Texts (guest post)
“Texts can be challenging in multiple ways, some more useful than others…” (more…)
Crash Course: Metaphysics & Epistemology of Race
Welcome to another installment of the “Crash Course” series, this time on the metaphysics and epistemology of race. (more…)
Reading Philosophy: Observations & Advice
“I didn’t know that there is a field of study that counted as sensible the questions that were always in my head. Even more amazing is that the type of thoughts I offered as answers, while ramshackle, were the same type of answers philosophers provide. I changed my major before the end of the semester. But I had a problem. I did not know how to read philosophy.” (mo..
The Point and Selection of Readings in Introductory Philosophy Courses
“What role should readings play at the lower undergraduate level in a philosophy class?” (more…)
“When Tables Speak”: On the Existence of Trans Philosophy (guest post by Talia Mae Bettcher)
“Once we ask the question of what a woman is, things immediately become more complicated philosophically… I am actually quite willing to have a discussion with gender critical feminists about these issues. I would love a genuine conversation to determine whether bridge-building is possible. After all, non-trans and trans women alike face oppression. Sometimes the ..
Citation Problems in Philosophy—and Some Fixes
Philosophers widely violate the academic norm to “cite work that is clearly relevant to the topic at hand,” claim Meena Krishnamurthy (Michigan) and Jessica Wilson (Toronto), in a post at the What’s Wrong? blog.
They identify some varieties of citation failure, and argue that it’s a problem worth taking seriously. Failure to cite people’s relevant work deprives ..
Why Students Aren’t Reading (Ought Experiment)
Welcome back to Ought Experiment, which sadly is not a comic strip. I think this week’s question is about getting kids to do the assigned readings, but if I’m being totally honest with you here, I kind of skimmed the letter:
Dear Louie,
I can’t get my students to do the readings! Maybe a third of them will be with me for the first few weeks, but term after te..
Philosophers Don’t Read and Cite Enough (guest post by Marcus Arvan)
The following guest post* is by Marcus Arvan (Tampa). Marcus runs The Philosophers’ Cocoon, a helpful blog aimed at early-career philosophers. Last week saw the posting of a report on philosophers’ citation practices by Kieran Healy. Marcus has written on this topic a few times over the years at The Philosophers’ Cocoon (the latest is here), and so I asked him if he..